Person:Thomas Postles (1)

Thomas Postles was born about 1700 in Delaware. He married Sarah (--?--). Sarah was born about 1704 in Delaware. Her maiden name may have been Nunez. On 1 March 1742, Thomas received a warrant granting him approximately 435 acres of land on a tract called Taylor's Plot in the forest of Cedar Creek Hundred, Sussex County, Delaware. Thomas later bought a nearby 20 acre tract of land from Dormon Webb in the forest of Cedar Creek Hundred for 16 pounds. On 4 August 1761, Thomas sold his son John 212 acres in the forest, including the plantation where John was living, for '5 shillings and natural love and affection.' That day Thomas also sold his son another 212 in the forest of Cedar Creek Hundred for 40 pounds.

Thomas Postles wrote his will on 23 August 1774 in Sussex County. He died sometime before December of that year, when the will was probated. In his will he mentions, a son, John Postles, and a daughter, Sarah Daniel, as well as a number of grandchildren. In his will, Thomas left his 'dwelling house and plantation' to his grandson, William Daniel, as well as a cow, a calf, a mare colt, a featherbed, some furniture, and a fur hat. William's land was the 20 acres that Thomas had purchased from Dormon Webb. Another grandson, Thomas Postles, also received a cow, a calf, and a fur hat. Thomas left Mary Daniel, possibly a granddaughter, fifteen bushels of corn, some pork, a gold ring, and '...all the fowles of any sort to me belonging.' Other unnamed granddaughters were to receive a gold ring each. The remainder of the estate was to be divided between Thomas' children, John and Sarah. John apparently inherited the 435 acres of land in Taylor's Plot.

Will of Thomas Postles, 1774

Will of Thomas Postles, Sussex Co. (Delaware) Wills, Book B, pg. 532-4. (Faded ink on some pages, white crease running along length of page 533.)

In the Name of God Amen. I Thomas Postles of the County of Sussex being weak in body, but of perfect mind and memory, but knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die and calling to mind the mortality of this Life and having a desire to settle my worldly affairs while God doth Continue me in my Natural Reason in order to do the same therefore do make and ordain this my last will and testament and desire it may be Received by all as Such. And first my soul, when it shall please God to Remove my Soul from my Earthly Body, I do then Commit it into the hands of God that gave it me trusting in him as a wise keeper for the Same, and as to my body, when it shall please God to take the breath of life from the same, I [ ] should be put into the Earth to be buried in a Christian like manner at the discretion of my Executor hereafter to be named, and as to my worldly goods, God in his mercy hath bestowed on me, I Give and dispose of in manner and form following.

Item. I Give and bequeath unto my well beloved GrandSon, William Daniel, my dwelling house and plantation with all the Land to the Same thereunto belonging and likewise the Land I bought of Dorman Webb adjoining the same, which said Land I Give and bequeath to him and his Heirs forever.

Item. I likewise Give and bequeath to my GrandSon William Daniels on Cow and Calf and [ ] the featherbed and furniture whereon I Usually [ ] and likewise on mare Colt, the fole of my mare, and [ ]othy Coat and vest, and my new waring hat.

Item. I Give unto my GrandSon Thomas Postles on Cow and Calf.

Item. I Give unto Each of my GrandSons, Sons of John Postles & William Daniels, on fur hat apiece. And likewise I Give to Each of my Granddaughters on Gold Ring apiece.

Item. I Give unto Mary Daniels fifteen bushels of Corn, and on hundred and fifty [ ] of pork, and all the fowles of any sort to me belonging.

Item. And all the Remains of my Estate not Given in this my Will above; I Give and Order to be Equally divided between my Son John Postles and my Daughter Sarah Daniels. And I do Ordain order and appoint my Son John Postles and my Son in Law William Daniels Executors of this my last Will and Testament. And I acknowledge, pronounce, and declare this to be my last will and testament, made this twenty third day of August Seventeen hundred and Seventy four. Signed, Sealed, and Acknowledged in the presence of. Joseph Truitt, John Webb, William Lofs[ ]

Thomas X Postles

his mark

Memorandum this [ ] December 1774. Joseph Truitt and John Webb, two of the witnesses of the above and within will Subscribing appeared before me Phillips Kollock Register appointed in the probate of Wills and granting letters of administration for the County of Sussex on Delaware and being Solemnly Sworn on the holy Evangelic of above [ ] did Secondly depose and say that in their Sight presence and hearing the Testator Thomas Postles did Sign, Seal, publish, [ ] and declare the above and within written to be his last will and Testament and that in the doing thereof the [ ] Testator was of Sound disposing mind, memory, and judgment to the best of their knowledge and beliefs and that their [ ] together with William Lofland Subscribed to the same [ ] at Regaes and in the presence of the Testator.

Phillips Kollock, Regr.

SOURCES

"Will of Thomas Postles," made 23 Aug 1774, probated 5 Dec 1774, Arch. vol. A94, pg. 8, Reg. of Wills, Liber B, folios 532-534.

Old Bible Records and Other Genealogical Data, collected by the Daughters of the American Revolution of Delaware, Vol. 6, (1855), pg. 152-8.

Mason, Elaine Hastings & F. Edward Wright, Land Records of Sussex County Delaware, 1782 - 1789, Deed Book N, No. 13, (Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, 1990) pg. 92

Wright, F. Edward, Land Records of Sussex County Delaware, 1769 - 1782, Deed Books L No. 11 & M No. 12, (Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications, 1994) pg. 116. Brewer, Mary Marshall, Land Records of Sussex County Delaware, 1753 - 1763. pg. 132.